by FIRESIGN » Fri Dec 18, 2009 9:26 pm
Chapter Fifteen
Tara pulled the VW into the parking lot next to Xander’s truck, grabbing Willow’s backpack and her own as she walked around to the passenger side door.
“Thanks for the ride, baby…” Willow said, smiling as she reached down, her hand searching out Tara’s once again. “Ready to go in?”
“Ready for anything…as long as I have you with me.” Tara said, returning the smile, thinking that if it were possible for her to blush, she surely would have been at that moment.
“Looks like you’re set for anything then, ‘cause I’m not going anywhere!” Willow said with a wink.
“Ugh…corny much?” Buffy said, rolling her eyes.
“Don’t mind Buff…she’s just jealous.” Xander said, putting his arm around the Slayer’s shoulders.
“Get. Off.” Buffy said, pushing Xander’s arm off.
“Ow! Easy…I was just kidding!” He said, rubbing the top of his shoulder.
“Looks like it’s going to be an interesting day…” Willow said as the group disappeared through the school doors.
Later…
“So…are you sure it’s not going to bother you…us eating in front of you and everything?” Willow asked, genuinely.
“No…it’s fine…really…” Tara insisted, sitting down at the table with Willow, Xander, and Buffy. The experience was a bit of a new one, as she had been used to spending the lunch break alone.
“So…you don’t eat anything…ever? I mean…how does that work, exactly? Can you eat…like regular food?” Xander asked, stuffing a bite of sandwich into his mouth.
“I c-can…but it doesn’t actually taste…w-well…”
“Doesn’t taste as good as blood?” Buffy asked, matter-of-factly.
“Buff…I warned you…” Willow said, giving the Slayer both a visual and verbal warning.
“N-no…it’s okay, Will…she’s right…it d-doesn’t taste…well…good. It w-would kind of be like you eating s-sawdust…” Tara explained.
“Really? Ew.” Buffy said, somewhat surprised by the analogy.
“How about we talk about something else…” Willow suggested.
“Yeah…not so big with the blood and sawdust talk at lunch, you know?” Xander said, taking a sip of soda. “Like…so…do you make all with the bumpy face…even though you’re…you know…a veggie-vamp?”
“Xander!” Willow said, smacking him up along side the head. “Do you mind?! Geesh! And NO she does not get all lumpy-bumpy…”
“You vamped out in front of her?!” Buffy said, her body stiffening.
“Will you just stop?!” Willow said, crouching when she realized that others were looking. She continued what she was saying in a much lower, but still pointed tone. “Look…yes, I’ve seen her get ‘vamped-out’ as you so aptly put it…but she does not get all lumpy-bumpy…and she didn’t mean to! It just sort of h-happened…but it’s nothing! She’s fine…WE’RE fine!” Willow said, placing her arm around Tara, protectively.
“Let me get this straight…you don’t get all ‘grrrrr’ and ‘arrrrrggghh’ when you…” Xander asked.
“N-no…” Tara answered, meekly.
“Huh…” Buffy said, mulling things over.
“She just…her beautiful blue eyes get…well…brighter…and she gets a little toothy…but not in a bad way!” Willow said, reaching over to give Tara a reassuring kiss on the cheek.
“So if you don’t get like that…and you don’t drink human blood…are you sure you’re actually vampires?” Buffy asked, somewhat intrigued by what she was hearing. If Tara wasn’t really a vampire in the truest sense of the word, perhaps it would make things easier to get along with her.
“W-we are vampiric…but different…y-yes.” Tara said.
“Guys…can we just talk about this later…when there’s not so many people around? Please?” Willow said, getting a bit nervous.
“No problem, Wills…it’s just about time to go back in anyhow…” Xander said, finishing up his lunch.
The group disposed of their trays and headed back into the school.
“Walk you to class?” Willow said with a smile, their hands still entwined.
“Absolutely.” Tara answered as they proceeded down the hallway.
“Man…she’s got it bad.” Xander said, watching the two meander away.
“Yeah…hey, you know…I wanna talk to Giles about something…catch up with you later?” Buffy said, looking a bit pensive.
“Now…you know I can let you go pick poor Giles’ brain unattended…I’ll go with.” Xander said, and the two headed to Giles’ office.
Later, in Giles’ office…
“Hey Giles!” Buffy said, sitting on the edge of the desk, making herself at home in her Watcher’s office.
“Don’t you two have class this period?” Giles asked, giving the pair a curious look.
“Study hall for me…so I’m not really missing anything.” Xander said, fiddling with some artifacts on the shelf.
“Algebra…not so useful in the slaying business…” Buffy said, smiling.
“So…what can I do for you, two?”
“How much do you actually know about the Maclays? I mean…you know…specifics-wise…” Buffy asked.
“What exactly do you mean, ‘specifically’?” Giles said, not understanding where his young charge was going with her line of questions.
“Like…I don’t know…we were talking to Tara and Wills this afternoon…and did you know that she and the rest of her family don’t go all lumpy-bumpy in the face when they vamp out?”
“Well, when the treaty was signed between the council and the Maclays, we really didn’t get into the specifics of their physical transformations…only that they agreed to feed only on wild animals, no humans and no domestic pets.” Giles explained. “You said that they don’t have the typical facial transformations?”
“No…Wills saw Tara vamp out…and her eyes just get really blue and she gets a little toothy.” Xander answered.
“How very interesting…” Giles said, grabbing an old book from the shelf, flipping through the pages.
“Are they really vampires…or something else all demony?” Buffy asked.
“To be honest…I’m not sure.” Giles said, taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose as though a headache was coming on. “I’m going to have to research this a bit…and I have some friends over in Scotland that may be able to tell us more. Did you ask Tara about it?”
“No…” Buffy said.
“Well…that may be a good place to start. In the meantime, I’ll contact the coven and see what they may know…” Giles said, sitting back down at his desk.
Later that day…
Willow and Tara walked out to the parking lot hand-in-hand. They had just about reached Tara’s VW when a couple of guys from the football team caught up with them.
“Hey! You’re new here, aren’t you?” He said, getting uncomfortably close to the pair.
“Relatively…why?” Willow said, continuing to walk to Tara’s car.
“You know…you don’t have to hang out with Maclay, here…I’d be happy to show you a good time…” The second boy said, causing the first to start laughing.
“No thanks…I doubt you could possibly show me a better time than my girlfriend here…” Willow said, a mixture of anger and fear coursing through her body.
“You’re kidding me…you’re a dyke?” He said, skeptically. “I got nine inches I’d like to slip you that I bet will change your mind about that!”
“Yeah? You think you could get it up three times?” Willow said, pointedly.
Tara could feel her anger rising, threatening to disclose her secret publicly. She turned around just as the second boy grabbed Willow’s arm, spinning her around to face him.
“Listen bitch!” He said, turning her roughly around.
Tara raised her hand, making no actual physical contact with the boy, and suddenly, he flew across two parking spots, slamming into a tree. Her eyes now glowing a bright icy blue, she turned to the second boy, who was starting to move in on the two of them. Just as she raised her hand a second time, Buffy and Xander, hearing the commotion, arrived on scene. The second boy flew on much the same course as the first, landing in a heap with his friend.
“Whoa! Will…are you okay?” Buffy said, quickly scanning her while keeping a cautionary eye on Tara.
“I’m fine…” Willow said, more concerned about Tara than herself. “Baby…” she said, putting her arm around the blonde’s waist. “I’m fine…it’s okay…let’s go.”
“W-what?” Tara said, somewhat dazed.
“You guys get out of here…we’ll clean up this mess.” Buffy said, heading towards the boys who were just starting to get up from the ground.
“Yeah…I think I’ll have a discussion with these two idiots about gentlemanly matters…” Xander said. “…with Buffy’s help, of course.”
“Come on, baby…let’s get you home…” Willow said, guiding Tara to the passenger side of the VW. After getting Tara settled, she took the keys from her and climbed into the driver’s seat. Within minutes, the two were speeding away. Slowly, Tara started to come out of her trance…
“W-what happened?” She asked, groggily.
“I’m not exactly sure…but you definitely got all large with the butch on those assholes back there at the school! You didn’t tell me that being all ‘Miss Sexy Veggie Vamp’ included you having special powers, too…not that I mind, because…hello! Assholes! They definitely had it coming!” Willow babbled.
“I-I don’t…have magical p-powers…at least…I n-never have before…” Tara said, as surprised as Willow.
“Seriously? How did you know what to do? I mean…you got all blue-eyed…and then just waved your hand…and BAM! Assholes number one and two became members of the frequent flyer program!”
“Oh…I’m s-sorry…” Tara said, tears clouding her eyes.
“Baby…you have nothing to be sorry for…nothing at all…I was just surprised, that’s all…it was great…YOU were great!”
“M-maybe we’d better talk to William about this…” Tara suggested.
“Your father?”
“Yes…I’m j-just…I don’t know what’s g-going on…” Tara said, obviously upset.
Willow, seeing how the recent events were affecting the blonde, put her hand on the inside of Tara’s thigh, giving it a comforting gentle squeeze.
“It’s going to be fine, baby…I promise…”
To Be Continued...
Loved the update! 
